The Venom in His Heart
by Efflorescent
Summary: Tomoya has helped Nagisa revive the drama club, but he's dealing with his own familial drama. Not wanting to worry Nagisa and being kicked out of Sunohara's dorm by the temporary "dorm mother," he's forced to go back to his alcoholic, raging father. Abuse


**Disclaimer:** I don't really see why we even need these. I think that "fanfiction" should be obvious enough that we didn't actually write the original story. Wouldn't it be awesome though if someone was like "Yes. I am the original writer of Clannad. This story shall be law." though? Anyhow, I don't own the Clannad. I DO own this story, though.

**Warning:** This fanfiction covers sensitive topics such as child abuse. There is also mild cursing in it. But I'm sure you knew that after reading the summary, you twisted individual. ;)

* * *

Tomoya couldn't prevent the hitch that caught in his breath as he examined his face in the mirror. Staring back at him was his likeness indeed – same hair color, face shape, body type – but the smooth complexion that he was used to was marred. He was sporting a greenish purple bruise on his lower jaw and scratch marks going from the middle of his forehead on the left side all the way to his ear.

"Damn. Why the hell can't he even remember to cut his nails?" Tomoya mumbled to himself as he leaned closer to the mirror, inspecting the wound. Of course wounds like these weren't abnormal to him, he just wished he had not gotten them now that people are actually looking. It made him panicked when he had to think about what he would say to Nagisa.

"It's my own fault, I suppose. I should have just snuck back in to Sunohara's place," he sighed in exasperation. He leaned back from the mirror, took one last glance at himself, and turned away apathetically. If Nagisa asks anything, I'll just make something up.

He turned on his heels and left the small bathroom, shutting off the dim, yellow light. As he made his was to the living room, sounds of the past horse racing results were being broadcast. The light from the screen flickered in time with the images, being the only liveliness in the room. He walked past a mass on the ground shaped like his father. He was passed out.

"Oyaji." Tomoya spoke in a curt, detached voice. _I'll be damned if I'm ever calling this man otou-san._

The man stayed on his side, facing the northern wall towards the television. He was lying on his side with his left and right arm laying over each other while his right leg remained straight and left leg was pitched forward, bent at the knee in front.

"Same spot as last night, so I'm guessing you didn't choke on your vomit," Tomoya started darkly, "so wake up Oyaji." Tomoya had placed him in that position after the scuffle last night – if you could call it that – so he wouldn't lie on his back in case he threw up.

"Oi. If you don't wake up, I'm not responsible for what happens," He tried again.

"I guess slapping me around wore you out." He spat bitterly, standing up at the same time that the man stirred. The man blinked a few times, his eyes registering his surroundings. He seemed to recognize he was at home because he angled his head enough to see the television as he struggled into a sitting position. Tomoya made no remark to the man's recovery and was about to turn to leave just before the man opened his mouth.

"Ah. Tomoya-kun. You're off to school then? I didn't think the middle school started this early," He stated in his slow drawl, a sad smile on his face as he turned to acknowledge Tomoya. The boy gripped his bag, fighting the urge to throw it.

"They don't. I'm a senior in high school." Tomoya gave his father an annoyed glance, not bothering to withhold the disdain on his face. It pissed him off to no end. He just sits there with the living room wall practically growing out the back of his head, and when he's not in there, he's out drinking or pissing away what little money he manages to keep.

He watched as his father's eyes expressed something other than glassey-eyed doltishness.

"Ne, Tomoya-kun. Where did you get those injuries?"

That was the last straw. Tomoya, turned and stormed out of the house without a second glance back. He felt if he walked any harder, the concrete beneath his feet would crack. As he walked toward the school, he began to think about the previous night's happenings:

* * *

"Hey, Tamaki, would you tell Nagisa-chan that I was the one who re-established the Drama Club?" Sunhara started, stars in his eyes as he continued, "She would be so grateful! She would look me in the eyes and she'd instantly fall in love with me." Sunohara grabbed the nameless cat by his paws and began moving them about.

"Oh, Sunohara-kun!" Sunohara began, his voice an octave higher as he moved the cat's paws. "I'm so grateful to you! You've re-established the Drama Club…I'm completely and utterly in l-" Sunohara was cut off:

"League with an evil syndicate trying to take over man-kind. Reviving the Drama Club was the test trial and you've passed. You shall be our first sacrifice." Tomoya interjected in an equally high voice. He watched in amusement as Sunohara's face twisted into turmoil, dropping the cat's paws like they had burned him.

"No, Nagisa! How COULD you? You've been tricking us the whole time?" Sunohara exclaimed in his normal voice, looking at the cat in utter betrayal. "I trusted you not only as a friend, but with my heart!" He professed, gesturing emphatically and grabbing his chest.

"How could I love you? I am not of this earth and I know nothing of love. Besides, you have a woman at your door at all hours. Even now I bet that –" this time Tomoya was a little surprised by a timely, harsh knock at the door. Sunohara's tear-filled eyes whipped around to the noise and he blushed madly at the coincidence.

"You're right, Nagisa-chan! I bet that there's a beauty on the other side of the door, fighting the urge to knock it down to get to me! I'm coming, my darling!" Sunhara eagerly ran up, forgetting his love for Nagisa as he sprinted towards the door and opened it. A hand immediately grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and snapped him out of his delusions.

"It's 1AM in the morning." A gruff voice seethed. The man was large and unfamiliar to Tomoya. He looked too old to be a tenant. He was around 6'1", with large, tanned muscles. He was wearing what appeared to be basketball shorts and a shirt that threw off his tough guy look with its pink nature.

"I'm sorry!" Sunohara immediately apologized in a formal manner. "I wasn't intentionally loud Mr…um…" Sunohara hesitated on the name, leading Tomoya to believe he had never met the man either.

"Ishikawa." The man's deep, grunted reply didn't explain why he was in the dorm in the first place or why he still had his fingers wrapped around Sunhara's collar. It was then that Tomoya realized the man – Ishikawa – actually had Sunohara a good seven feet off of the floor.

"Impressive. Sunohara! He's lifting you almost like an Olympic figure skating duo!" Tomoya remarked in a playful tone.

"Shut up you bastard and get this man's gorilla hands off of me!" Sunohara spoke without thinking and was shook back and forth by said gorilla who continued to smack the blonde's head against the door's frame.

"Dumb, moronic, stupid, never-going-to-be-married-because-I'm-too-large-and-dumb Gorilla am I?" The large man began to shake harder.

"I DIDN'T EVEN SAY YOU WERE DUMB, YOU MORON!" Sunohara defended.

"Ah! But you just did, Sunohara! You should be grateful that a _guy_ is pummeling you this time, though. It's a nice change up from Tomoyo-san! Good for you." Tomoya remarked, clapping his hands in congratulations. He watched as the man looked like he was going to snap when the cat caught his eye.

The cat mozied past Tomoya and meandered his way around the messy room to make his way at Ishikawas' feet. It mewled in recognition and rubbed itself against his legs in affection. The man stopped his glaring at Sunohara long enough to glance down at the cat. When the cat looked up at him, the large man's demeanor suddenly changed. He dropped Sunohara promptly on his butt and immediately bent down and stroked the cat with equal affection. His eyes glazed over in mirth as a blush crept to his cheeks while he scratched under the cat's chin and felt it pur. He let out a contented sigh as the cat rolled on to his belly, asking for attention. His eyes wandered to the heavily breathing blonde and the confused Tomoya.

"_Why is this scene so familiar_," Tomoya asked himself as a starfish popped into his mind.

"Oh, tenants! I didn't see you there! I'm Matsuda Ishikawa. Nice to meet you boys. I'm your temporary dorm mother while Sagara-san is on vacation." The large man said in a nurturing, kind voice.

"It would appear the Dr. Jekyll has made an appearance," Tomoya dead-panned.

It was almost heartless the speed at which this nicer Ishikawa was to kick Tomoya out of the dorms after realizing that he wasn't a tenant nor had he signed in with security at the entrance.

"Damn." Tomoya cursed as he hesitated at the intersecting streets of the Furukawa's Bread shop and the one leading to his house. He couldn't impose on them at 1:30 AM, so he trudged home just in time to be met with his plastered father.

"TOMOYA-KUN!" His father drawled. "C'MERE FOR A SECOND!" He slurred this less that ten minutes after Tomoya had arrived home.

The boy in question sighed in defeat at the hopes of his father passing out right away and chose to ignore the calls. The house fell silent for five long minutes and Tomoya assumed he had made the right call, guessing that his father had just passed out. He rolled over on his side and started dozing when the scent of alcohol attacked his nose.

"I said come HERE!" He heard Naoyuki yell as he reached across Tomoya's face, scratching from the forehead to the left ear as he made his way towards his hair. He pulled harshly, yanking Tomoya out of bed and not relenting when he fell to the floor with force.

"Let GO of me, you drunk!" Tomoya yelled, swinging his left arm backward in an arch, dispelling the intertwined fingers from his locks, losing a few hairs in the process.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I told you to come here and you ignored me, you disrespectful brat!" Naoyuki yelled, spit flying from his mouth.

"What's wrong with me?" Tomoya yelled in indignation. "What's wrong with YOU! You useless, old man! You're drunk 90% of time and either passed out the rest or gambling away what little money you_ haven't_ spent on booze! And respect? You _earn_ respect! It's not _given_ to you unconditionally! So tell me why the HELL I should show even the smallest amount of respect for a washout like you?" Tomoya bit back, his words laced with the less than a tenth of the venom that was poisoning his heart. He watched with satisfaction and anger as his father stumbled backward and thought about his answer.

"Because. I'm your FATHER! That's wh-" Naoyuki was cut off by the loud, monosyllabic laugh that left Tomoya's throat. Naoyuki stopped and watched Tomoya stand up and turn around. The moon seeping from the windows highlighted his face, lighting his eyes. It was not the first moment Naoyuki had seen the clear hatred reflected in those eyes. He saw them every day. If not from his son, then reflected in every mirror he stood in front of.

"Yeah right. You haven't been my father since mother died." Tomoya replied coldly.

Naoyuki snapped and raised his left arm. Tomoya instinctively attempted to raise his right arm above his shoulder to protect his face, but was restricted by his handicap. The fist came flying down, connecting with his jaw harshly. Tomoya's head flew downward, the momentum bringing down his body down once again.

"Just shut up! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Naoyuki shouted, kicking Tomoya repeatedly in the torso. Tomoya curled up and covered his head as he waited for the man to stop. Minutes later, it happened. He heard the man fall backward, partly out the doorway. Relief washed over him as he attempted to sit up. His stomach and back hurt immensely and he debated just staying on the floor, the idea sounding nicer and nicer as his head felt lighter and lighter from the repeated kicks.

As he felt himself fading, he heard a gaging, chocking noise coming from the doorway. He managed to angle his head from his lying position well enough to see his father's shoulders shaking at each gag.

"Damn it all." Tomoya grunted as he propped himself up as quickly as he could. He managed to crawl to his father. Naoyuki was passed out on his back with foam and vomit frothing from his mouth. Tomoya stared at the man's struggle, watching him slightly convulse.

"I should just let you drow-" Tomoya stopped the thought immediately, surprised at the evil direction it was going. He grabbed his ribs in pain and looked at his father one more time before deciding to do something. He tilted the man's face to the side and watched the vomit slide from his mouth, painting the floor beneath it a sickly brownish green color. Tomoya's face curled in disgust as he stood and made his way over Naoyuki towards his head which was facing towards the hallway.

He bent slowly, ignoring the pain, and steadily pulled his father towards the living room. He set him in a safe position he learned through trial and error while growing up. He looked at the man beneath him and was tempted by the seductress of bitterness to deliver some kicks of his own to the man, but overcame her seduction by leaving the room as quickly as possible. He closed and locked his door, leaning his head in exhaustion and pain against it. Slowly making his way toward his bed, he couldn't resist the urge to cough any longer. He let out a hack into his palm and was displeased with the coppery taste that passed his lips. Looking at his palm, he observed the light specks of blood that had come from his mouth.

"Damn." Tomoya muttered as he slowly walked toward his bed and lied down as gently as he could before being taken into his dreamless sleep.

* * *

O_y_aji - Means dad. It's probably the American equivalent of saying "pops." It's kind of impersonal.

**Author's Note:**

Well. I haven't really written anything in a dog's age. But I was on YouTube the other day and I stumbled upon Clannad again. It reminded me of all of the things that I loved about anime. I remember this being the first and only show that has ever made me cry. Literally. I'm a cold, heartless woman. I really **wanted to write** something like this. I know that the show focuses on Nagisa and Tomoya's relationship, but I like the estranged relationship that Tomoya and his father share. I figured I'd just purge my thoughts a little on this. I welcome **flames** to the highest degree. I don't really mind them.** I know I'm not the best writer** in the world and considering I haven't really written anything in a while, I wouldn't be opposed to them in the least; **I welcome them.** Well, anyhow, I'm **not really sure if** this is just something I **wrote to get out of my system or** if I'm actually thinking about **writing** a math amount of **chapters** for this story. I guess it will be **dependent** **on your reactions**. Clannad doesn't seem to have the amount of fanfictions that it deserves, hence my hesitation. Also, I AM **in university.** Though the semester is coming to a close and I have a summer job here, I'm not sure if I'll have the time to finish by them. **Next semester is crammed for me. I have 18 credits**. (Gen, organic, and bio Chem, Stats, English, Heath Exercise and Recreational Science, and Developmental Psychology should keep me fairly freaking **busy**.)

Feel free to review. I would appreciate it. Do it anonymously or however you please.

**I even bolded the important stuff for those of you too lazy to read Author's Notes.**

May your days be filled with Anpan and happiness.

~ Elyssia


End file.
